


The Sound of Silence

by shadow_faye



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Manipualtion, In line with canon, M/M, Post ep 2x17, Pre-particle accelerator, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8156699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_faye/pseuds/shadow_faye
Summary: Hartley Rathaway never planned to fall in love with Harrison Wells, something like love never fit with the plan that had been set for his life. Ever since he was born he’d known what to expect from the world. He was prepped to take over his grandfather’s business from the time he was in diapers. However, even the best laid plans fail, and Harrison Wells entered Hartley Rathaways life. Nothing would ever be the same again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray in The Flash fandom. I always thought my first fic would be ColdFlash centric, but there is time for that. This idea would not leave me alone. I've been outlining it since the episode Flashback when we saw Hartley working with Team Flash.

Hartley Rathaway never planned to fall in love with Harrison Wells, something like love never fit with the plan that had been set for his life. Ever since he was born he’d known what to expect from the world. He was prepped to take over his grandfather’s business from the time he was in diapers. He was in prep school his entire life, and as soon as he graduated high school he accepted a scholarship from M.I.T. His father would have preferred Yale or Harvard, but Hartley could not deny that he wanted to go to M.I.T. It had been his dream school for ages. In order to appease his father, he agreed to learn multiple languages to help make Rathaway Industries a global power.

His studies turned out to be in vain, however, when after his first semester at University, he came home and told his parents he was gay. He was in his first serious relationship, really his first relationship. He’d met another boy his age on the floor of his dormitory, one that he shared many interests with. They were both from the Midwest, and were fascinated by the growth of S.T.A.R. Labs over the last few years. They spent all their time together. Hartley decided it was time to tell his parents he was gay, so that way he could bring William home to meet his parents. So Hartley decided to tell his parents he was gay over Christmas Break.

He knew it would be hard for them, but he didn’t expect them to react the way they did. His mom was inconsolable. She cried as if he told her he was dying. His father was on the other end of the spectrum. He was completely enraged at the thought that he had a son who was gay. 

The holiday break wasn’t even over before his parents sent him packing. His father removed Hartley from his will and started making plans for someone else to take over his company. Hartley returned to M.I.T. and quickly changed his major from business to Engineering. If his family wasn’t going going to accept him for who he was, then he wasn’t going to worry about pleasing them. He was going to be who he wanted to be.

As it turned out, his relationship with William barely lasted his freshmen year of college. Hartley found himself bored with William’s nearly average intelligence. The boy had been smart enough to get into M.I.T. but he barely stayed afloat as a student. Hartley could not handle someone who had no desire to push himself, and broke up with William before the end of the semester. 

After the breakup with William, Hartley immersed himself in his studies. He wouldn't let any setbacks distract him from his goals in life. Now that he had the freedom to focus on the major’s he wanted, and full scholarships to see them through, he didn't let anything stand in his way.

Hartley got through University in record time. Thanks to the immense course load he gave himself, he finished classes in half the amount of time as most students. He was approaching the end of his master’s degree when most students he started classes with were getting their bachelors. The immense dedication meant Hartley didn't have much time for a social life, but it wasn't something he mourned. He didn't do well with others.

Harrison Wells came into his life shortly before he graduated with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. Hartley was stunned to see him at a speech he was giving for his dissertation and even more so when he met Hartley backstage.

“That was quite a presentation Mr. Rathaway.”

Hartley stared for a moment, attempting to process what was happening. No one in the physics department had mentioned Harrison Wells visiting the campus. He wasn't schedule to give any presentations and the semester was over so he wasn't there to visit a classroom. The only reason for him to be there was to scout for new talent. 

“Thank you Dr. Wells, it's an honor,” he said reaching out to shake his hand.

“Call me Harrison,” he replied, returning the handshake. “Hearing Dr. Wells at the lab all day would get quite bothersome.”

“Pardon?”

“I'm here to offer you a job Mr. Rathaway. S.T.A.R Labs could use your kind of genius.”

Hartley stared at him speechless. S.T.A.R. Labs was a dream Hartley had never dared have. He’d watched as Harrison Wells built it from the ground up. The Labs had been a part of Central City his whole life.

“I don’t know what to say, sir.”

“I expect to see you soon after graduation.” Harrison said with a smirk. “That’s in three weeks isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I’ll see you in four?”

“I’ll be there.”

Harrison nodded handing him a card before walking away.

“I’ll be in touch Mr. Rathaway. I look forward to working with you.”

“You won’t regret it.”

“Oh, I’m sure of that.”

Hartley smirked looking down at the business card in his hand as Harrison Wells walked away. He had been sending his application into multiple Labs throughout the country. S.T.A.R. Labs had been on the list, but Hartley hadn’t even gotten around to mailing his application to them yet. It was still sitting on his desk in the dorm. That meant Harrison Wells had searched him out on his own. Nothing could have diminished that thought from his mind.

The rest of Hartley’s semester was spent looking online for apartments in Central City. It went without saying that he couldn’t return to his parents. He hadn’t spoken to them since that disastrous Christmas break when he came out to them and they disowned him. So, two days after graduation Hartley was stepping off a plane in Central City for the first time in four years.

As soon as he dropped his things off at the hotel he was staying at he made his way to S.T.A.R. Labs. The building was even more intimidating than it had been during all of his school field trips in Junior High and High School.

He paused stopping at the front desk clearing his throat to get the receptionist’s attention. She glanced up from her computer with a frown on her face.

“Can I help you?”

“My name is Hartley Rathaway. Harrison Wells is expecting me.”

“Your name isn’t on our schedule.”

“I assure you, Harrison Wells is waiting for me.”

“You will have to make an appointment. Dr. Wells is a very busy man…”

“Mr. Rathaway. You’re earlier than I expected.”

Hartley spun around seeing Harrison standing in the entrance to the hallway behind him.

“Dr. Wells, this man insists you had a meeting with him.”

Harrison chuckled walking up to the desk slowly.

“I wouldn’t say it was a meeting. I’d like you to meet Hartley Rathaway, our new physicist.”

Hartley smirked at the receptionist, raising his eyebrow at her.

“Come on Mr. Rathaway. Let me show you around the facilities.”

“Is it going to be anything like the tours my schools took me on?”

“It’ll be a more behind the scenes look. You won’t be disappointed.”

Hartley definitely wasn’t disappointed. The tours through S.T.A.R. Labs that he received as a child didn’t even scratch the surface of what the Labs were capable of achieving. Hartley had no idea that S.T.A.R. Labs had a fully functional medical facility. The leading Biologist, Dr. Caitlin Snow, had been less than impressive, but the facilities themselves would have put any medical structure to shame. Their physics lab was awe inspiring, and Hartley quickly began to make himself at home. He barely paid any attention to the other workers in his lab, unless they had something for him to work on, preferring to immerse himself in his own experiments.

Therefore, it came as a surprise to him when Harrison Wells strolled into the lab one day and dropped a folder in Hartley’s lap. Hartley looked at him slowly before picking it up and flipping through it. He looked back up at Harrison, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Harrison pulled a chair forward, sitting down slowly.

“Yes?”

“These are plans for a particle accelerator.”

Harrison grinned at him leaning back in his seat.

“Yes, they are.”

Hartley looked back down at folder in front of him and then back at Harrison slowly.

“You’re planning to build a particle accelerator.”

“Yes, I am.”

“But, why are you showing me these plans.”

“I want you on my team.”

“Me? I just started.” Hartley didn’t doubt his intelligence or that he was the right one for the job, he was just surprised that Harrison Wells chose a new employee to work on the project.

“We won’t be the only ones working on the project,” Harrison said with a small grin. “I just think the team will benefit from your brilliance.”

Hartley nodded slowly putting the folder down on the table. There were no other questions to be asked. From the blueprint Harrison had made groundbreaking progress in the building of his own particle accelerator. Hartley wanted to get started on it immediately.

“Then I suppose I look forward to the project.”

“I knew I could count on you,” Harrison said putting his hand on Hartley’s shoulder before walking out the lab.

Hartley grinned at folder in front of him before getting back to work. S.T.A.R. Labs had definitely been the right choice for him.

The attraction happened slowly and when Hartley wasn’t paying attention. Not the physical attraction, Hartley was not blind and he was self-aware enough that he knew he found Harrison Wells physically attractive, that was never a problem. No, Hartley’s attraction to Harrison was based more on his brilliance and his drive for science.

It formed over countless nights in the labs together, pouring over mathematical equations. Hartley and Harrison were always the last ones in the lab, bouncing ideas back and forth over the formulas they were working on. Hartley had never been around anyone who challenged his mind the way Harrison did. He was always used to being the smartest one in the room, having to slow down his own thoughts to make people understand. With Harrison there was no need for that.

It didn’t help that Harrison seemed to be aware of Hartley’s attraction. He even seemed to encourage his feelings through casual touches whenever he could get away with it. It started subtle, hands lingering on Hartley’s whenever he handed him a folder or a new piece of tech, and a brush of Harrison’s hand on his shoulder whenever he passed him in the hallway. Hartley thought he was imagining things at first. He convinced himself that he was seeing what he wanted to see. But even he couldn’t deny it when Harrison walked up one day while he was working on the computer and started running his fingers over the back of his neck.

Hartley sighed, shivering a bit at the touch. He leaned back looking up at Harrison who was grinning down at him.

“I was beginning to wonder if I read your signals wrong.”

“Hmm.”

“Well, you haven’t seemed interested lately.”

“I would argue that you were the one who was keeping his distance.”

“I just didn’t want to scare you off.”

Hartley smirked slowly, spinning in his chair to face him.

“Trust me Dr. Wells, there isn’t much that could scare me off.”

“Oh, I am certainly counting on that,” Harrison said, as he leaned forward closing the distance between them.

 


End file.
